Endometriosis Treatments

Endometriosis, a condition associated with infertility, painful menstruation and pelvic pain, affects an estimated 12 million women in the United States. It is a progressive disease in which the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus and attaches to other organs in the abdominal cavity such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. In rare cases, it is also found adhering to the bladder, bowel, kidneys, and even the lungs.

In women affected by endometriosis, the endometrial tissue outside the uterus responds to menstrual cycle hormones the same way the tissue inside the uterus responds, swelling and thickening before shedding to mark the beginning of the next cycle. However, unlike the shedding within the uterus, the blood that is shed from the endometrial tissue in the abdominal cavity has no place to go, resulting in pools of blood causing inflammation that forms scar tissue.

Liver Function and Endometriosis

The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, though a number of theories exist. Some physicians suggest that hereditary or hormonal factors are the cause while others claim that dietary factors and exposure to environmental toxins are at fault. The liver is active in metabolism and detoxification and, therefore, is strongly affected by poor dietary habits and toxic environments. The accumulation of fat in the liver, a result of dietary factors and exposure to environmental toxins, interferes with cholesterol metabolism and hormonal balance leading to fat deposits in the liver and circulatory system. Those deposits are associated with a number of ailments including endometriosis.

The symptoms of endometriosis may be alleviated by taking a supplement that promotes the body's detoxification process through the liver and kidneys. The supplements available to treat endometriosis are often made of a combination of herbs and lipotropic factors and are thought to be hormone-specific detoxifiers which provide relief without radial dietary changes.